


broken crown

by ellieloves2read



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Based on a Tumblr Post, Gen, Ice Emperor Zane, Post Season 11, wasnt planning to post this on its own but honestly? I love how this turned out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:40:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29365632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellieloves2read/pseuds/ellieloves2read
Summary: Zane is tired. But more than that, he is furious.(Title from song of the same name by Mumford and Sons.)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 24





	broken crown

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this tumblr post by sketch—booked: https://sketch--booked.tumblr.com/post/642641993815752704/i-had-another-dream-it-was-simple-and-wasnt
> 
> Enjoy this small taste of Zane going wild!

Zane is tired.

He’d been looking forward to a day spent with his family, a normal day, without any crises or threats.

“Corrupt ice. Beautiful, isn’t it? You may have taken down the Emperor but you cannot cover up everything. You’ll find, a lot more of his power stained the land than you thought.“

Right now, though, as this— this _cultist_ and his minions surround them with weapons made from Zane’s ice, cold rage burns in his chest. First this man idolizes the worst aspects of him, now he dares to threaten his family in his name?

No.

Zane closes his eyes and reaches. He is not as powerful as he was when he had his staff, but he was an emperor far longer than he was a ninja, and the ice responds to him easily.

He hisses, "enough,” and the corrupted weapons shatter.

Enemies cry out in shock as their weapons explode in their hands, some of them gaining cuts as shards of ice slice into them. Their leader staggers back. “What—”

Zane doesn’t dare look at the ninja. "Really?” he asks instead. “You wanted to fight me with my own weapons?”

The man looks at him, really _looks_ , and Zane sees the gears turning in his mind. “You— you _can’t be—_ ”

Zane says nothing. He holds the man’s gaze as cold rage boils in his stomach and he pulls on the shattered pieces of ice around them. They fly to their master, coiling and swirling around his hand. In a matter of seconds, Zane is holding a long, jagged spear of ice. The weight isn’t quite right, but the hum beneath his fingers is familiar.

The man whispers in awe. “You’re the… Your Majesty!” He kneels, bowing his head. The sight makes Zane’s teeth grind. “I’ve come to bring you home and restore you to your throne.”

“ _No._ ”

The leader of the warriors pauses, dares to look at Zane again. “Y-your Majesty?”

Zane takes a few steps forward. Even _he_ can feel the temperature drop a few degrees. He allows the smallest amount of static to enter his voice. “You didn’t come to take me home, _dog_ , you came to _use me_ ,” he spits, frost weaving up his arms and bursting from beneath his feet.

The man’s eyes widen. “No, no, of course not—”

“You wanted to use me as a tool of conquest. Do not deny it.” Ice begins to form around the feet of the warriors. None of them notice; all eyes are on Zane. Good. It will be easy to immobilize them. “You came here to my home, my _real_ home, to use me to harm the people I should protect. You came to harm my _family_.”

In the past, Zane might have once felt guilty for the terror in this man’s eyes. But he’s done being used, especially by pitiful fools like this.

“Your Majesty, _please—_ ”

If the ninja are saying anything, Zane cannot hear it over the fury building in him. He doesn’t stop walking, even as the man scrambles back.

“No, no. You came here with a purpose, yes?” He grips the spear and sends ice curling up the man’s legs. He notices too late. He looks down at his trapped feet, around at his army, and finally at Zane again. There’s only a few feet between them, and Zane draws himself to his full, towering height.

“You wanted the Ice Emperor?” he growls. He raises the spear. “I will _give_ you the Ice Emperor.”


End file.
